EIGHTEEN
ASIA-PACIFIC COUNTRIES are expected to receive more than
$110 billion in tourism revenue during the next three years,
according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association. China will be the
biggest beneficiary, gaining some $36 billion from tourists through
2009. Other major destinations expected to cash in are Thailand
with $13 billion, Malaysia with $11 billion, South Korea with $7
billion and Macao with $5 billion. PATA said it expects tourist
arrivals to grow an average of 6% a year during the next three
years, with tourists from Asia accounting for the lion's share of
business.
MARRIOTT
INTERNATIONAL said it will manage a 968-room hotel that
will be part of the Macao Studio City complex that's taking shape
in Macao, China. The property will be Marriott's first hotel in the
Chinese enclave of Macao. The Macao Studio City Marriott Hotel will
be in a 30-story tower that will be part of the 4
million-square-foot development known as Macao Studio City located
on a 33-acre site on the Cotai Strip. The hotel is scheduled to
open in 2009. Phase one of the project will include the hotel, a
2,300-seat theater, a 200,000-square-foot casino, 1 million square
feet of retail space, a 55,000-square-foot exhibition space and a
stand-alone TV and film production facility. The Marriott hotel
will include a private executive level lounge, access to a luxury
spa and fitness center, a swimming pool, a business center, a kid's
club and shuttle service to the Macao ferry terminal and
airport.
INDIA'S
LEELA HOTEL GROUP said it plans to double its room
inventory during the next three years as part of an aggressive
expansion plan that calls for six new hotels throughout India.
Leela currently operates four five-star hotels in Mumbai,
Bangalore, Kovalam and Goa. The first of the six new properties
will open in Gurgaon Delhi next spring, followed by Udaipur in
winter 2008; Chennai in winter 2009; and South Delhi, Hyderabad and
Pune in 2010. Leela said the expansion will cost approximately $300
million. Leela said it also is exploring growth opportunities in
major source markets like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
CRUISE
WEST, the small-ship cruise line, launched an early
booking promotion, offering up to $800 off on three itineraries in
the South pacific in 2008. Under the promotion, customers who book
next year's trips by June 15 will save $600 per person on the
cruise, plus an additional $200 if payment is made in full by the
same date. Guests who book by Sept. 7 will save $300 per person,
plus an additional $100 if payment is made by that date. In 2008,
Cruise West's 120-passenger Spirit of Oceanus will embark on three
South Pacific itineraries from January through March. A 12-night
Pearls of Polynesia itinerary, for example, will sail between Fiji
and Tahiti, with visits to Beqa, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Tonga.
Pearls of Polynesia is scheduled for Jan 23 and Feb. 26 departures,
with prices starting at $5,049 per person with the maximum early
booking savings. For information or reservations, call (800)
689-1783 or visit www.cruisewest.com.
RITZ
TOURS introduced an 11-night Yangtze Special package
combining stays in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai with a Yangtze River
cruise with Victoria Cruises. The package costs from $2,769 per
person, double, including air fare, hotel accommodations,
sightseeing, meals and the services of experienced guides.
Departures are scheduled for Sept. 7, 14, 21 and 28, and Oct. 12,
19 and 26. For information or reservations, call (800) 900-2446 or
visit www.ritztours.com.
SPECIAL
NOTE: This will be the last edition of the Asia Pacific
E-letter. Visit the Edit Your Profile link on TravelWeekly.com to
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Asia-Pacific Editor: Jorge
Sidron
Phone: (973) 898-0011
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].